Mrs. Li Leung Kwok-ling's Talk on 20th November 2008

Good morning, boys and girls,

This morning, I would like to introduce to you a book which I read during the summer holidays. It is called ‘For One More Day’ and is written by Mitch Albom, whose international best sellers include ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ and ‘Five People You Meet in Heaven’

‘For One More Day’ is about Charles ‘Chick’ Benetto, the child of a divorced couple, who is forced to choose between his mother and his father. He grows up and starts a family of his own. Chick values his absent father, Len, more than his caring mother, Pauline. Although Pauline is always concerned about Chick’s best interests, Chick angrily pushes his mother away. One fateful weekend, he meets his father secretly and his mother dies while he is gone. He is overwhelmed by regret and for years is haunted by the thought he was not with his mother when she died. His mother’s death also ended his dreams of a baseball career. As a result, Chick loses his sense of purpose. He no longer has a target. His drinking and depression are too much for his wife, Catherine and their only daughter, Maria. They leave him. But the worst is yet to come. He is not invited to her daughter’s wedding ceremony. He is so upset that he collapses and tries to end his life by leaping from a water tower. But he survives. On his way home after the unsuccessful suicide, Chick encounters the spirit of his mother, who died eight years earlier. Through a supernatural conversation with his dead mother, Chick begins to understand his mistakes and the great sacrifices made by his mother.

The unusual meeting with his mother gives new meaning to Chick’s life. Chick cherishes the tenderness he experiences with his mother and tries hard to reorganize all those shattered pieces in his life. He comes to realise that it actually does him no good putting himself before others and completely ignoring their feelings. What he needs to do is to start anew and try to correct the mistakes he has made all his life.

What I have just told you is a brief account of the story. The story actually tells us much more. I am not sure whether you come to share Chick’s feeling of redemption after listening to his story. Young people of today just think that the ‘love’ they now enjoy is something they were born to enjoy. They are keen at all time to emphasize the importance of their ‘self’ while completely neglecting those who have given them support and love. They try hard to fulfill their ambition in life but treasure little the things they already have. They will eventually feel regret when they find that they have actually lost all the things they consider to be ‘theirs’. Many people are insatiable – never satisfied with what they have got and keep asking for more. However they do not have the strength to meet adversity or life’s vagaries. Once they encounter challenges, they simply break down into despair and disappointment – in other words, they long for a life that adds to their well-being but they get completely destroyed when their easy life is made difficult by problems that they have never been aware of.

Young people, like you, may be asking too much from their parents and teachers and because of this they do not appreciate what parents and teachers have done for them. Parents and teachers have given their children or students their best and made their utmost effort . They have showered them with unconditional love. However most of the time young people only consider what they have not got and what they have lost.

It is hard for me to guess who you will think about after listening to Chick’s story. It is equally hard for me to find out if you will treat your parents, teachers and friends differently. What I want to emphasize here is that ‘For One More Day’ is not a ghost story. It is actually a story filled with truth and love. It is a moral tale, full of lessons about life. I sincerely hope that every one of you can understand the lesson in the story well and when you embark on new ventures in your life, think carefully not just about your own good but seriously consider the feelings of those who support and love you by giving up their own good. I want to point out again – love is the biggest influence in our life. We treasure love - with love we can have a better understanding of ourselves and get to love all those around us. Remember, grasp the chance to love your parents, family members, teachers and friends. I hope every one of you can have a meaningful and joyful life by sharing your love with the people who come into your life.

Here are some questions for you to think about:

1. Give a brief account of something you regret doing.
2. What would you do to correct a mistake you have made if you were given the chance to live that moment again?
3. If you were given the chance to live for one more day, who would you like to stay with? Explain your choice.

Send your responses to fromtheheartofsgss@gmail.com before 26 th November, 2008. Thank you.
Please remember to write “From the Heart – Talk 9”, your name, class and class number in the subject box.